The Night Bus Hero

Product Information

I do think a massive theme of this book is to not judge a book by its cover. There is more to Hector than meets the eye, and the same with Mei-Lei, and the homeless characters of Thomas and Catwomen. Hector, 10-years-old and a middle child, has always been a bully and a prankster. And subsequently spending a lot of time in the principal's office. From the beginning, it's clear that Hector thinks very little of most people, and often does what he does just to annoy them. For example, as the book opens, Hector is about to drop a second rubber snake into the school's lunch soup, and even as the principal warns him not to, Hector defiantly does it anyway, knowing he will be in trouble. He always to derive satisfaction knowing he's ruin something for someone with his pranks. But, for him, it's ok, after all, his friends Will and Katie always think his antics are funny. Scenting a way of getting both rewards and recognition, he determines he needs to find out more about this homeless man, Thomas, from Mei-Li, who volunteers at the local soup kitchen. This isn't exactly a 'story of redemption' but it does take in several angles and does so successfully, threading Hector's growing understanding of homelessness with a confusing friendship with someone he's bullied, and even a mystery/crime plot as they attempt to prove who is committing the thefts.

In The Night Bus Hero, we meet Hector who has been getting into trouble for as long as he can remember. He doesn't mind being in detention often, because that's when he comes up with his best ideas. Along with his two friends, Will and Katie, Hector is feared by all the pupils at his primary school and the teachers think of him first when there is any kind of incident. His parents are often working away from home, but they express their disappointment in his behaviour when they are around.Our narrator this time is the school bully. And while he's telling the story so we do feel a connection with him, he's - well - a bully. And pretty horrible to other children at school. The boy's an absolute menace.' 'He's a bully. A lost cause!' 'Why can't he be more like his sister?' The book challenges stereotypes about both homeless people and bullies, questioning the definition of a hero and whether people really can change?

This would make a great class read for upper primary classes. My nearly 10-year-old and I just finished Rauf's debut and I'll be starting this one with him soon. It raises issues I'd like to have a context for so that we can then use for discussions, and Hector is engaging and a character you really want to see change a little. His family life plays a role in his actions and readers will notice that. A successful juvenile by the beloved New Yorker writer portrays a farm episode with an imaginative twist that makes a poignant, humorous story of a pig, a spider and a little girl.It follows the actions of a bully named Hector, who is horrible to anyone who dares to go near him, and a homeless gentleman called Thomas who spends his days sleeping on a park bench by Hector's school. When Hector pushes Thomas' trolley into the river he slowly goes from a feeling of triumph to a feeling of compassion. When a spate of London landmark sculptures are suddenly stolen, including Paddington Bear and the Eros statue in Piccadilly Circus, Hector is convinced the crimes have been carried out by homeless people led by Thomas - but no sooner has he reported Thomas to the police than he realises he's got it horribly wrong. With the help of his enemy Mei Lei, Hector must race against time to make sure justice is done - but that's not the only thing he needs to change. Raúf's craft is so beautiful, you are immersed in the story as soon as you open the book and everything feels so real. Readers of around 8 and above will find this a very smooth and intriguing story with some appealing characters.

Wow! I don’t even know where to start about this book. Onjali Rauf again with another fantastic book. It touches on so many incredible themes. I love how Hector is seen as just a naughty child, but Onjali dives deeper and explains that there is so much more to his behaviour than meets the eye. His home life is not ideal, and he turns to acting out and bullying others as a way of dealing with this and getting the attention he so desperately craves. Getting in trouble is what Hector does best. He knows that not much is expected of him. In fact, he gets some of his most brilliant prank ideas while sitting in detention. But how far is too far? When Hector plays a prank on a homeless man and is seen and shamed by a schoolmate, he reaches a turning point. He wants to be viewed differently and decides to do something that will change his fate for the better. But will anyone take him seriously? Thereby begins a bit of a roller coaster adventure to discover just who else is targetting the homeless community after valued London icons start mysteriously disappearing. There is a bit of a Scooby Doo feel to this part of the story, but it does help to lighten the mood a little, without taking away from the main messages of the story... i.e. don't judge books by their covers and take the time to get to know people. Written with great empathy, this book has themes of friendship and kindness whilst celebrating the fact people can change – and often for the better. Another success for Onjali J Raúf.Can Hector and Mei-Li get to the bottom of these crimes? Can Hector’s new understanding help him be less of a bully? Could Hector turn out to be a bit of a hero? Hector is a bully who doesn’t really care about anyone and thinks his cringey parents don’t care about him. His teachers don’t seem to like him (he certainly hates them), he particularly dislikes teacher’s pet Mei Lei, and he devotes his time to being mean to other kids and making them give him sweets.